Daryl Smith

Ravens inside linebacker Arthur Brown alertly diagnosed a pass thrown over the middle by backup quarterback Matt Schaub intended for running back Javorius "Buck" Allen. Brown broke on the football Friday morning as it glanced off Allen's hands, snaring it on the fly and returning the interception for a touchdown. Once he reached the end zone, a visibly excited Brown leapt into the air and did a flying hip check to celebrate with free safety Kendrick Lewis. Having played sparingly since being drafted in the second round by the Ravens two years ago out of Kansas State, the former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year was understandably upbeat about this successful practice...

Setting the scene: The Ravens began their second day of practice early Friday, taking the field around 9:45 a.m. on a clear, sunny morning in Owings Mills. The veterans finished around 12:15 p.m., with the rookies and reserves heading inside around...

With cameras lining the sidewalk near the players' entrance of the Ravens facility in Owings Mills, stalwart outside linebacker Terrell Suggs was, predictably, the only player to acknowledge the attention given to the mundane act of showing up for...

On paper, the Ravens don't appear much better than a year ago. There could be arguments that they are worse because of the departure of several key veterans.
But, upon further review, the Ravens might end up being the best team in the AFC.
They will...

The Baltimore Sun is breaking down where the Ravens stand at each position, including predictions on how many players the team will keep at each spot and which players are locks, long shots or “on the bubble.”
Linebackers
How m

The Ravens managed to lower veteran punter Sam Koch's salary-cap figure by $700,000 when they signed him to a five-year, $16.25 million contract extension, according to NFL Players Association records and league sources.
The deal, which has a total value...

Ravens coach John Harbaugh says it every year. The organization wants competition for all 53 roster spots. Team officials want established veterans to be pushed for starting jobs and rookies to be pushed for reserve roles.
It’s a given that certain...

In the past three years, the Ravens have gone from having one of the older rosters in the NFL to being in the middle of the pack.
Will they be even younger this year after bringing in a nine-man draft class and signing a boatload of college free agents?...

The Ravens’ first full-team training camp practice is still over a month away, giving us plenty of time to dissect and discuss the team’s roster, the top position competitions and the players who figure to be on the bubble.
The majority of those...

When Arthur Brown was drafted in the second round by the Ravens two years ago, he arrived with considerable expectations and hype as many draft analysts had compared the undersized linebacker to legendary retired middle linebacker Ray Lewis.
It was...

The Ravens are $7.331 million under the NFL salary-cap limit of $143.28 million.
This includes the Ravens' recent $825,000 deal for veteran cornerback Cassius Vaughn, which includes a $745,000 base salary, a $50,000 bonus for making the 53-man roster and...

For two years, Ravens inside linebacker Arthur Brown tried in vain to bulk up to prepare his body for the rigors of the NFL.
Despite his devotion to lifting weights and increasing his calories, Brown remained undersized at 6-foot and ranging between...

Ravens starting cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb were absent from an organized team activity practice Wednesday.
With Smith and Webb not attending the voluntary workout, Asa Jackson and Rashaan Melvin lined up with the starting defense. Smith...

When Pro Bowl outside linebackers Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil missed the first of three voluntary practices last week, there wasn't much concern.
And if both, along with veteran defensive end Chris Canty miss the organized team activities this week,...

Most of the players attending this week's first set of optional team activities were scattered around the large auditorium near the heart of the Ravens facility in Owings Mills for a team meeting Wednesday when a late arrival set off the entire room.
A...

The Ravens' starting offensive line was absent from the organized team activity on Thursday, but the voluntary practice was otherwise well-attended.
Left tackle Eugene Monroe, left guard Kelechi Osemele, center Jeremy Zuttah, Pro Bowl right guard Marshal...

Ravens safety Will Hill took to his Twitter account Thursday to lament that "it's not football season yet," and to post a picture of himself in the team's locker room with his helmet on and his teeth clenched.
The Ravens' regular-season...

The Ravens are $7.384 million under the NFL salary-cap limit of $143.28 million.
This follows the Ravens' recent three-year, $7 million contract for former New England Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington, who's slated to play nickel back.
Arrington's...

The NFL had the Ravens and teams with a similar free-agent philosophy in mind when the league shifted a key date this year.
Instead of having the compensatory draft pick formula count against teams when they signed unrestricted free agents prior to...

The Ravens’ insistence on taking the best player rather than targeting their biggest need adds to the shroud of mystery that annually surrounds the organization heading into the NFL draft.
While draft pundits have been consistent in projecting the Ravens...